Tomato Soup Anyone??

It's been a little on the chilly side here in Sydney the last few weeks. Well, maybe a bit longer than that. Anyhow, when it gets chilly out, there is nothing I like better than some hot homemade soup. This time around, I decided to make one of my all time favorites; Cream of Tomato Basil Soup.

I started with a recipe off the Atkins website and modified it some. First thing I did was cut the amount made to four servings. It's just my husband and I here so we make enough for dinner the night before and lunch the next day. This soup fit the bill for that perfectly.

Here's my recipe (my husband said it was perfect) for you to try. I certainly enjoyed it and I believe you will too.

Ingredients:

• 1 TBSP unsalted butter
• 1 leek chopped, white part only
• 1 clove of garlic, minced
• 1 can (400 gram or 14 oz) of diced tomatoes, strained
• 1 med to large fresh tomato, de-seeded and diced
• 500 ML chicken broth (roughly two cups)
• 2/3 - 1 cup of basil, roughly chopped
• pepper to taste
• salt to taste
• 1 cup of heavy cream
• 2 TBSP of good sherry
• 2 TBSP of tomato paste

Method:

1. Heat the butter in a deep pan. Add the leeks and garlic and saute until tender, stirring frequently.
2. Add the strained and fresh tomatoes, broth, chopped basil, salt and pepper; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and cover. Simmer for 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat.
3. Either transfer to a blender and blend in batches or use a hand held blending sick and blend in the pot.
4. Stir in the cream, sherry, and tomato paste. Heat over low heat until very hot but NOT boiling.
5. Divide between serving bowls, garnish with your favorite toppings (mine were homemade croutons, fresh basil, and Parmesan cheese) and serve.

It is a very easy and delicious recipe. Next time, I think I will use all fresh tomatoes and roast them prior to using them in a soup. That should be interesting.

Give it a try and let me know what you think.